Barclays Loyal Customer bricks up the Barclays bank branch

Customer bricked up the front door of a Barclays bank branch

Cameron Hope was a furious customer of Barclays as the bank refused to give him a loan. Interestingly, Hope decided to do something out of the ordinary as a form of protest. Hope bricked up the front door of a Barclays bank branch as a form of protest at the lack of interest shown by the banks when it comes to provide credit to small firms. An idea which was likely to find sympathy as well as support among businesses and firms which has been unable to secure loans from banks, was executed in the form of a 8ft by 4ft wall of breeze blocks outside the entrance to the Barclays branches in Westbourne, Bournemouth, Dorset.

Hope was not alone, as he was joined by other local firm and business owners who have faced similar troubles while trying to secure loans from banks. They plastered the walls with placards saying “Robbed by the banks we own” and “Make the banks lend”.

Hope said that the blocking of a doorway was a way of saying that banks might be open but the safe is not. He was of the opinion that banks were stifling the recovery from the recession by not lending any money to small scale businesses. Savers are not getting anything, neither are the borrowers. The banks are operating in an authoritarian manner by doing whatever they feel like. Banks which are owned by taxpayers are also not lending money, making it highly difficult for small term businessmen to operate. The protest was a form of saying that enough has been endured and the Government needs to intervene immediately and make sure that banks start lending money.

Daily Mail has started a Make the Banks Lend campaign on behalf of small firms which have been turned down credit. Daily Mail argues that banks should be able to lend money as taxpayers have contributed enormous funds. Instead of using that money to increase the bonus on bankers, banks should be lending that money at affordable rates to small scale businessmen and firms who form a crucial part of the economic backbone.